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Dallas County District Judge, 160th Judicial District

Civil cases heard by District Courts include personal injury and property damage suits, landlord-tenant matters, contractual and other business disputes. Must be a US citizen and Texas resident between 25 and 74 years old, a practicing lawyer or judge, or both combined for at least 4 years. 4 year term.

CHOOSE TWO CANDIDATES FROM BELOW TO COMPARE

Bonnie Wulff (Dem)

Lynda Lee Weaver (Dem)Attorney

Aiesha Redmond (Dem)Attorney

Jim Jordan (Dem)Judge, 160th District Court

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Biographical Information

PERFORMANCE & EXPERTISE: Please outline your legal experience, including any specializations and peer review status. Describe any public reprimands or suspensions you have received.

EFFICIENCY: What methods do you support, if any, to increase the efficiency of the District Court to provide swift justice?

ACCESS TO JUSTICE: What, if anything, should be done to improve access to justice for low income residents in civil cases?

OTHER ISSUES: What other issues do you believe will be most pressing in the District Courts and how would you address them?

I have strong qualifications and experience to be Judge of the 160th Judicial District Court, which hears civil cases. Most all of my 30 year career has been dedicated to handling civil matters, and I have appeared in the courts of Dallas County many times. I own and operate my own law firm and have strong management skills required to administer a fair and efficient court handling personal injury, complex business litigation and other civil matters that typically come before this court. I have handled cases involving personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, insurance matters and commercial litigation. I also completed training as a certified mediator.

I have no public reprimands, suspension or grievances filed.

I think the most important thing a judge can do is to show up to work early, stay late and be open and available to attorneys. Many people do not realize the number of things juggling in the air when you are managing a court that has dozens of cases running through it in parallel. My staff and I will be proactive with each case and the attorneys on the case to keep things moving, keep a strong and tight schedule and make sure my court is efficient and provides fair but fast access to justice. Secondly, judges have to be willing to make rulings. I will not unduly delay rulings. I will work hard to read and understand facts of each case so I am prepared in "real time" to make rulings with reasonable speed.

I have first-hand knowledge of people needing help, sometimes pro bono, in dealing with their legal matters. I am very sensitive to this issue and the needs we have in Dallas. I am a strong advocate for all equal access measures and projects, volunteer attorney programs, mediation and the like. Even though the role of judge is less political and "representative" than other government offices, I still believe we have a role to play.

A judge first and foremost needs to be impartial. It is also critical that a judge be a good listener and allow litigants a full hearing. In terms of on the bench, a judge needs to exhibit a calm and rational demeanor. Efficiency is another issue that has little to do with technology. It has to do with the personal diligence of the judge to keep up with the case, including reading the briefing and case law. I believe that a judge who has a linger history working in civil law will have built in advantages in this regard. Because of my experience and relationships with the courts, I am aware of technology to improve the process. I would take time to pursue CLE and expect my court staff to attend conferences.

I started my legal career working for Baker Botts, an international law firm, representing corporations and Fortune 100 companies on a variety of complex civil matters, including contractual issues, labor and employment and construction litigation. While at Baker Botts, I put in countless hours volunteering my legal services to those who could not afford an attorney. In 2013, I joined the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. While at the District Attorney’s Office, I represented the citizens of Dallas County in both criminal and civil matters. My practice ranged from prosecuting murders and family violence cases, to representing the County in contractual and civil disputes. I have tried over 100 cases during my legal career.

I would implement a policy creating deadlines to when the Court should make a ruling on a motion. Judges should endeavor to perform all judicial duties, including the delivery of reserved judgments, with reasonable promptness. Justice should not be delayed because during that delay it is in essence being denied. I have a strong work ethic and a strong sense of responsibility, which has assisted me in having a successful legal career. Working long hours was the norm at Baker Botts and the District Attorney’s Office, Civil Division. I am prone to putting in the time that is necessary to get the job done. Because of that work ethic, I will have no problems with working the required amount of time necessary to have an efficient Court.

Making justice equal for all Americans must be a priority for Congress, state gov. and Judges. State legislatures should increase funding for legal aid and find ways to revive and support IOLTA programs, which will enable nonprofit legal aid providers to help low-income people with civil legal matters such as landlord/tenant issues. Judges should exercise their discretion to appoint attorneys more often and Courts can simplify legal processes and promote access to the necessary technology to make it easier for individuals to navigate the legal system on their own. Also, law firms and bar associations can increase pro bono contributions and enact policies, requiring a minimum of pro bono hours volunteered to improve access to legal services.

A Judge should be fair and impartial to all parties regardless of their economic status, race or gender. Unfortunately, corporations and big banks tend to have the upper hand in our Court system, regardless of the facts and evidence presented. Our Courts are supposed to provide a forum to resolve disputes and to enforce laws in a fair and rational manner and that is what I intend to do.

A judge's general attitude toward the law and litigants should be of patient, decisiveness, respectful, neutral and a commitment to equal justice. The issues that arise in Court can be very personal, so when rendering decisions a judge should deliver a ruling with a certain amount of compassion.

Judge,160th Judicial District Court, Dallas County, Texas, first elected in 2006.
Local Administrative District Judge for Dallas County - elected by the 39 Civil District Judges, 2007-2008.
Judicial Member of the Dallas County Juvenile Board, 2007-2008.
Presiding Judge of the Civil District Courts of Dallas County, elected by the 13 Civil District Court Judges, 2009.
Former Judge 44th Judicial District Court, Dallas County, Texas, 1986 appointed by Governor Mark White.
Appointed Multidistrict Litigation Judge for Waco Twin Peaks Litigation.
Certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1984 to present.
Member of the Civil Trial Law Exam Commission of the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

I established early in my first term comprehensive policies and procedures for the 160th District Court to provide for matters getting to trial sooner and quicker rulings from the court. These govern such matters as scheduling hearings, use of the Associate Judge, requested filings, Case Management Orders, and pretrial and trial matters, can be found on the Court’s website, and are published annually in the Dallas County Bench Book by the Texas Lawyer in cooperation with the Dallas Bar Association. Hyper-link capability in the County's electronic filing system to case law and exhibits within briefs, pleadings and motions would greatly increase the court's efficiency in reviewing and ruling on matters.

Adequate funding is the largest impediment to improving access to the courts and court-related services. The financial guidelines for most organizations providing legal services are too low for many, if not most, people and families who cannot afford legal representation. The legal threshold for establishing an indigence waiver for filing fees and other court costs is difficult to meet. The Texas Supreme Court could require annual mandatory pro bono hours from each attorney to help the over-burdened legal aid organizations. Language barriers persist for many litigants for whom English is, at best, a second language. Adequately trained interpreters are needed for the nearly 100 languages spoken in Dallas County.

We are starting to recognize that all people, including judges and jurors, have implicit biases - attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. Training for judges and instructions to jurors can help us recognize these implicit biases so that they do not impact our judgments and verdicts. Advances in forensic science has led us to re-evaluate the reliability of previously common opinion evidence such as fingerprint identification, hand writing analysis, bite and tool mark identification, and fire cause and origin opinions. Providing judicial training in scientific analysis will improve the reliability of opinion testimony admitted at trial.

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